Structure elements of the generic kind are used primarily in the industrial, medical and research fields and are always used in cases where it is required to prevent radiation, produced for example by particle accelerators or medical radiation devices, from leaving a defined area.
Conventionally, solid concrete or steel-reinforced concrete structures have been built in the manufacture of such structure elements. In order to reduce construction costs while maintaining reliable screening from radiation, DE 103 27 466 A1 proposes to manufacture the structure element in a sandwich-type construction, wherein one layer of the relevant parts of the building is manufactured from radiation shielding material and at least one further layer is made from (steel-reinforced) concrete. A construction of this type has various advantages, in particular in the form of lower construction costs. But, in both conventional structure elements as well as in constructions that are made in a steel-reinforced sandwich-type construction, the geometry of the finished structure element must be already known prior to the fabrication of the individual components. Retrospective changes or the assembly of the structural element at another site are certainly possible, but involve relatively high costs.